Tai chi for the elderly
The benefits of martial arts for the over-60s
dec. 23, 2009 Françoise Angrand

The various bodily or physiological pathologies associated with ageing are in no way a contraindication to the regular practice of tai chi chuan. Tai chi is particularly well-suited to the physical, physiological and nervous maintenance of people over 60: over the last ten years, numerous studies have demonstrated that the stages of aging are slowed down, and that certain disorders are even non-existent in regular practitioners.

Nevertheless, tai chi teachers need to look into the matter and adapt their teaching methods and certain aspects of their form to the 60-90 age group. Tai chi and osteo-articular pathologies

The symptom most frequently observed in senior citizens, and which makes them doubt their ability to practise tai chi, concerns joint pain: rheumatism, osteoarthritis, tendonitis, capsulitis, etc. These pathologies (which also exist in older people) are often the result of a lack of exercise. These pathologies (which also exist in younger people) are due to the deterioration of cartilage and the inflammation of peripheral tissues.

The trouble is, most people's reflex is to stop moving to stop the pain. This leads to a vicious circle: the less you move, the more the joint "fossilizes"; the more it becomes blocked, the more it hurts when you move; the less you move, the more your muscles relax;

Practising tai chi gently re-tones the muscles, making them more supple and encouraging the distribution of synovial fluid in the joints. Although it takes some effort to overcome pain during the first few sessions, after just one hour of movement, the pain disappears. After a few months, a better amplitude of all movements can be observed.

Tai chi improves balance Intense "rooting" work strengthens the legs and thighs, and restores flexibility and strength to the hip joint. Vertical postures, with a solid base on the ground, give the whole body a feeling of centeredness and stability.

We know that senior citizens are prone to falls, due to loss of proprioception (sensitivity of the nerve endings under the feet and deterioration of the inner ear's balancing functions). Tai chi intensely stimulates this proprioception, and the slowness of the movements enables practitioners to relearn how to listen to their bodies and their postures, and to make the corrections needed to maintain verticality.
They regain considerable self-confidence, and confidence in their own bodies, which they relearn to master. Improved circulation

As we age, our respiratory capacity diminishes: our breath moves further and further upwards, becoming shorter and shorter, until our "last breath". The slow breathing of tai chi forces the practitioner to bring this breath lower and lower, to inflate the lungs more and more, thanks to a better amplitude of the diaphragm. Re-oxygenation of the body slows down the aging of the brain, the skin and all cells in general.

Studies have also shown a marked improvement in blood pressure in hypertensive patients, and better blood circulation in general. Maintaining brain function Memory loss associated with ageing is undeniable: the nervous system ages, and intellectual activity is not as intense after the age of 50, as there is less learning to be done (except in the case of people who have nurtured their intellect all their lives).

Tai chi is an ideal replacement for the "memory workshops" that are springing up in all gerontological centers, as it makes the brain and body work at the same time, in a playful way. Tai chi sequences have to be learned and remembered in bits and pieces, one after the other, over months or even years.

The first three or six months are extremely difficult to memorize, but progress is very rapid thereafter, as if the machine, once up and running again, were to take on a new lease of life. Hip and knee prostheses There is no contraindication to practising tai chi with joint prostheses; it is simply necessary for the teacher to make serious enquiries with a physiotherapist, in order to adapt certain movements to these specific cases.

After an operation, tai chi helps to restore more rapidly the muscular environment that has suffered from the incision. Mental health and psychological balance Group practice - and we can't stress this enough - enables people of all ages to reintegrate into a community. The intergenerational aspect of tai chi is an essential factor for our elders, who suffer from isolation and inactivity.

Here again, studies show that regular group practice of tai chi improves sleep, reduces stress, restores self-confidence and maintains a certain zest for life. From 7 to 97 years old, tai chi is a great school for accepting others and sharing space, all united in the same breath and the same concentration. That's what balance is all about: maintaining your physical autonomy, while keeping your place in your environment.